Wire-working tool.



No. 879,686. I PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

. P. SMITH.

WIRE'WORKING TOOL.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 5, 1907.

PEARL SMITH, OF BARDWELL, KENTUCKY.

WIRE-WORKING TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed-August 5 1907. Serial No. 387079.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PEARL SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bardwell, in the county of Carlisle and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Working Tools,of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a wire-working tool, and more particularly a hand-toolfor coiling or twisting a piece of wire around another wire or otherobject, the invention being especially designed for applying insulatortie-wires.

The object of the invention is to provide a tool of this-kind which issimple in construction and which can be easily operated.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tool.Fig. 2 is a sec tion on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of a portion of the tool showing the same equipped with a modifiedform of wireholder.

The general structure of the tool is that of pliers, the handles ofwhich are indicated at 5 and 6, respectively, and the jaws at 7. Thehandles are crossed and pivotally connected, and are normally held openby a spring 8. The jaws are also shaped to form a wirecutter 9.

The handle 5 carries a wire-twisting device comprising a wire-holdinghook 10 mounted on a rotatable disk 11 having in its peripheryratchet-teeth 12. The ratchet-disk is secured to the handle 5 by meansof a washer 13 fit ting in a central circular hole in said disk, and aplate 14 fitting on top of the washer and overlapping the disk. Thewasher 13 and plate 14 are fastened together by screws 15 which alsoscrew into the handle 5 whereby said washer and plate are securedthereto. The ratchet-disk, the washer and the plate have radial slots 16for a purpose to be hereinafter described, and adjacent these parts thehandle 5' is enlarged as indicated at 17 sufficiently to form a supporttherefor. In the enlargement is a slot which is adapted to register withthe slots 16.

The ratchet-teeth 12 are engageable by a pawl 18 fastened to the handle6 and extending under a guide-plate 19 011 the handle 5.

A spring 20 secured to the handle 6 presses against the pawl and holdsit in engagement with the ratchet-teeth 12. To the handle 5 is secured aspring 21 engaging the ratchetteeth 12 to prevent backward motion of thedisk 11.

In use the ratchet-disk 11 is turned until the slots 16 register. placedin said slots, and the tie-wire is brought around the insulator andaround the line-wire and placed in the hook 10. The handles 5 and 6 ofthe tool are then opened and closed which, by the engagement of the pawl18 with the ratchet-teeth 12, rotates the ratchet-disk 11 whereby thetiewire is coiled or twisted around the linewire. The tie-wire will beheld in the hook by the hand of the operator until the coil or twist isstarted. Both ends of the tie-wire are fastened in this manner.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modified form of wireholder comprising a base-plate22 secured to the ratchet-disk 11, and having spring-jaws 23 betweenwhich the tie-wire will be placed. This form of wire-holder is to beused if a tight wind or twist is desired, and the form of holder firstdescribed will be used if a medium tight wind is desired.

The tool herein described is simple in construction, and easy tooperate, and by its use the tie-wires can be quickly applied.

I claim:

A wire-working tool comprising a radially slotted ratchet-disk mountedon one of the handles, and having a central opening, wireholding meanscarried by the ratchet-disk, a radially slotted washer fitting in theaforesaid opening, a radially slotted plate fitting on the washer andoverlapping the ratchetdisk, means for fastening the washer and plate tothe handle, and a pawl on the other handle engageable with the ratchetdisk.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

PEARL SMITH.

The line-wire is then

